Lost Destinies
by BlindBandit51
Summary: Everyone's destiny is entwined with the other. But Katara has thoughts that she has somehow lost what she thought was meant to be her destiny but the others are discovering secrets they didn't know were waiting to be discovered.
1. Return to the Southern Air Temple

A tyrant blizzard began to fall over the Patola Mountain Range. The yak's thick fur was dusted with the falling snow. Katara was on a journey to the Southern Air Temple to see and old friend she had not been acquainted with for eight years. Her thick brown hair was secured in a braid underneath the hood of her parka; the hair she had pulled into loops beat loosely against her face. The waterbending master, who was now at the age of twenty-three, had had a difficult matter on her mind. She needed help; she needed to make a decision, but the event that took place eight years ago was yielding her from making that decision. All she knew now, was that she _must_ speak with the Avatar.

During the time in which Katara was making her way to the Southern Air Temple, her thoughts kept returning to Day of Souzin's Comet. She remembered how she felt towards every person that day; she longed and ached to see that one man again-but she knew that was impossible. "If only I would have forgiven Zuko sooner. Why did I wait so long to finally tell him how I felt? There could have been so many more memories," Katara questioned herself in agony.

Many hours passed and night had fallen over the Patola Mountain Range. The Patola peaks were hidden by the overwhelming clouds of the blizzard; Katara could barely see her own hand before her. She had no idea where or what direction she was heading; the yak she had been riding on continued to restrain from going further, and he hardly continued through the snow when urged by his rider. "Please, Aang, help me," Katara pleaded with tears running down her cold face, hoping that somehow her pleaded whisper would be heard by Aang. Katara was afraid she was going to die in this blizzard. "I've come too far to give up now, but I can't go any further," Katara told herself as she continued to cry.

As she had started to walk for a while, Katara began to feel the ground getting harder. "The temple!" she thought to herself in excitement. She had reached the passageway leading to the door of the Southern Air Temple. "I just have to get to the door," she told herself. But Katara was so tired and exhausted; she thought she could go no further. She led the yak behind her as she held it's reigns to guide it. Katara finally reached the massive temple door. The Air Nation symbols still remained after all this time, though the wood and the metal on the door were marked and scared from many things passed. The wind and snow did not resist pounding and beating against Katara, making her nearly almost blinded. Finally, she found the strength to lift her arm and begin pounding on the door with all the might and vigor that was left in her. But she almost had forgotten to place in her hand a small staff with the Water Tribe and the Air Nation symbol carved upon it. She did not know if this would serve any significance, but she knew she must hold the staff out to be seen.

Minutes passed by and Katara remained outside the temple walls. "Even if there is anyone in this temple, they won't be able to hear me," she uttered in distress. Katara felt the strength in her arms and legs being taken away from her; she began to fall to the ground. Katara truly thought at this moment that she would die in this blizzard; the task she knew she must do would be forgotten and never accomplished. But at the moment Katara was falling and all of her strength was gone, the temple doors opened and she fell into the arms of an unknown man. Katara had no idea who he was, but she felt assured now that was in his arms and not in the blizzard's. She knew she was safe now.

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Katara slowly but anxiously opened her cold eyes. She awakened to find a young man gazing down upon her; but he looked so familiar but yet she could not realize who he was. Finally, Katara's sight returned to the clearness it once had. She realized she was definitely no longer in the deathly blizzard but was now in a warm and calm room. Her gentle and long hair covered the soft pillow on which her head was lain; her parka was left on her to provide extra warmth. Katara urged with the need to arise from her slumber to grant herself the assurance of having the ability to move her arms and legs. The night before she had been so frozen and stiffened by the freezing temperatures of the blizzard, the fear of being frostbitten suddenly returned to her.

"Katara," the man said to her with the most calming and soft voice she had ever heard.

"Wh-Where am I?" Katara said, struggling to make her voice utter the words.

"Your in the Southern Air Temple; Katara, it's me, Aang."

"Aang?"

He nodded. Katara suddenly became lost in his eyes and could not find the will to gaze them elsewhere. Aang studied Katara's face as it appeared to him now; she had changed so much and grown in beauty. Katara was appalled at the fact of how much Aang had changed. His appearance was noble and protective; his airbender tattoos seemed to glow as if he had entered into the Avatar State; and his voice was greatly mature and powerful as was his countenance.

Katara tried to pull herself up but instead was urged back to her position my Aang's strong but gentle hand.

"You need to rest, Katara. I can tell that you have journeyed a long while."

"I came to see you, Avatar Aang."

"Thank you, Master Katara," Aang addressed her; he thought that if Katara addressed him by the title of Avatar, then he should address her as Master (she _was _a waterbending master after all). "I will be longing to hear of your travels and why you came all the way to the snowy Patola Mountain Range to visit this almost forgotten temple. But now I ask for you to rest a little while longer.

"I will," Katara replied as she slowly laid her head back once again and softly closer her tired eyes.

A few hours had passed when Katara rose from her deep slumber. She moved her arms and legs a few times and left her room to explore this strange place; she could not wait to see what it looked like now and how much the Avatar had changed. Katara made her way through several passages that were warmed by candlelight. She began to open doors, hoping to find the Avatar in one of the rooms. But suddenly she ran into a stranger man she had never met before. He was elderly and had a large battle scar that marked his right cheek to his right shoulder; he was dressed in a silk airbender kimono, but Katara knew he was not an airbender or even from the Air Nation; his long white beard barely tipped the collar of his kimono, and his full head of white hair glistened under the lamps handing on the passageway walls.

"May I be of assistance?" the man asked.

"I need to speak with the Avatar," Katara gently replied.

"Follow me," he said turning to the other direction and walking slowly down the passage. Katara followed slowly behind him.

The man said nothing until they arrived at a door leading to a room set apart from the others. "You may enter."

Katara slowly and nervously placed her hand around the handle to open the door. She felt a rush of cold air as the door opened, and she beheld the Avatar sitting quietly in front of a tall open window. He sat unmoved as he continued to gaze out over the Patola Mountain Range with his steady eyes kissed with the glare of the sunlit morning.

"Avatar Aang?" she asked, almost too nervous to speak.

"Master Katara, please sit with me."

"You saved my life," she said as she sat down beside the airbender.

"You have saved my life many times before. But I promise I would have saved your life even if there was no favor to be returned," the Avatar said gently glancing over to Katara and giving a soft smile. Katara smiled weakly at the airbender.

"I haven't seen this part of the temple," she finally said after a long pause.

"Well, now you have. Would you like to see the rest?" There are many parts of this ancient temple that neither you or Sokka have seen," Aang offered as he stood up and held his hand out for Katara to hold to as she rose.

"Yes, I want to see," the young waterbender replied, gently placing her hand into his.

"Follow me."

Soon Aang guided Katara into a colossal room. An enormous chandelier swayed above them as the clamor of their footsteps echoed through the passages and halls. To Katara, the Southern Air Temple appeared almost the same; but to Aang the temple hand changed dramatically-even more than when he had witnessed the massive domain nine years ago.

"It's been so long since I've seen this temple," Katara said as she gazed at the interior of the temple in wonder once more.

"Over eight years," Aang told her.

Katara's heart was saddened as she was unable to refrain herself from remembering the past. The thoughts and memories of herself as a teenager and being with Aang and Sokka the first time she visited this temple returned to her; but also the memories part of her wanted to forget.

The two of them entered a long passageway with a view of the massive sky and snow-tipped mountains; below them was the rugged, never-ending valleys of the Patola Mountains. Both young benders could not put into words how they each felt in that moment. Aang was finally reunited with the woman he declared that he loved countless years earlier. She was here; but he could not purpose a notion within him to tell her now. He alleged he would say nothing of the matter right now, especially after the Day of Souzin's Comet and how he realized who Katara truly loved then. But Katara's reason for returning to the temple to see the Avatar, would be completely surprising to the Avatar himself.

Hours passed and the day was coming to an end. Katara and Avatar Aang returned to the room where Aang had been during the early morning hours. The radiance of the moon now beamed throughout the Southern skies and gently glared against the majestic mountains. Katara stepped in front of the full window and began to gaze out into the night sky, almost getting lost in her thoughts that had been with her for several years; the moon danced through her perplexed, oceanic eyes as her long brown hair blew steadily against the wind. She once again took out the small staff with the symbol of the Water Tribes and Air Nations carved upon it's rugged surface. She gripped it tight as tears began to flow down her face in a perfect stream; she knew she must tell Aang shy she was here, but the words stayed in her thoughts. Katara continued to look down almost afraid to move from her stature.

"Aang, I have to tell you why I came," she said weakly, as she faced the Avatar.

"Katara, what's wrong?" Aang said, worried for his dear friend.

Now her tears blurred her vision of the man standing before. "Aang," she muttered; she felt as if she would not be able to tell him anything.

"Aang, I came here...to marry you."

Aang's eyes widened in astonishment. He couldn't believe what Katara had just old him and had a very doubtful and worried look in his eyes.

"What! Katara...it's not that I wouldn't be happy to marry you-believe me; but I know you don't love me. You don't know what you're saying, Katara."

"Yes, I do, Aang!" she said getting somewhat frustrated. "Aang, we both know this was destined to be. Remember what we were told?" Katara held up the staff with the Water and Air symbols.

Aang sighed and looked away.

"Katara, don't do this," Aang pleaded.

"I have no choice, Aang. We have no choice. After you're gone, the Air Nomads will no longer exist. You're the last airbender, Aang. We can't let the Air Nation just disappear like this."

"Katara..."

"If we marry...I can give you a son or daughter that could be an airbender. He can carry on the Air Nomad nation," Katara said, still crying.

"Katara, please, stop. What's done is done; you can't change that by marrying me and having a son or daughter that might not even be an airbender. I know you don't want to do this; I don't want this for you," Aang said, holding Katara by the shoulders, still begging her to follow her own destiny.

"It's my destiny, Aang."

"Katara!" Aang could almost feel tears in his eyes as he pleaded and pleaded with her.

"Aang," Katara whimpered weakly as she fell into his arms and cried desperately.

They were tears of duty and feelings of a lost destiny. She had thought so long ago her destiny would be with Zuko; but when that changed that fateful day, she did not know what to destiny was anymore she thought. Katara kept her head against Aang's chest. His arms were secured around her and wouldn't let go. Aang always dreamed of marrying Katara-but never this way. She did not want this; and because of that, neither did he now.


	2. The Patola Mountain Range

Two years had passed since Katara entered the Southern Air Temple. Snow still covered the mountains and most of the temple. The master waterbender lay in a room warmed by candles. She was very still and tired; but inside she was broken. Katara held a small child in her warm arms-the daughter of the Avatar. She was only a year old, but already she seemed to have Katara's beauty and Aang's liveliness. Katara knew she must leave soon and would not be able to see her own daughter grow up; but she did not have a choice. She had no control of what would happen.

Aang silently stepped into the room. He gently sat down beside Katara and his daughter.

"She looks just like you," he said.

Katara softly smiled. "Hopefully she'll have your bending skills."

"Who knows-maybe she'll have both our bending skills."

They both smiled.

Aang sighed heavily. "Katara, I never wanted this for you. I'm sorry," he said as he looked away.

"Aang, I had no choice. Don't blame yourself. I'm just sorry I put you through this."

"Katara, never be sorry for this." Aang paused, still not sure if he should tell Katara. "Katara...I don't know if you haven't figured this out by now, but I've always loved you. You don't how much I've waited for the day we would be married and have a family but I never imagined it like this. I accepted the fact that our love could never be...because I realized you didn't feel the same way."

"Aang, I'm so sorry. I never realized before-" she stopped. "I just-"

"Katara, you don't have to explain," Aang knew what she wanted to say. "You still miss him a lot, don't you?"

"Yes. I try to forget. But the more I try to erase my memories, they just grow stronger."

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing," Aang comforted her as he smiled.

Katara smiled back at him. The smile he had reminded her of the first time they met; his smile had not changed from his youth.

Aang slowly got up and walked out the door. Katara closed her eyes and felt herself dozing off into sleep.

An hour or so passed and Katara woke to see that her daughter was still asleep in her arms. Katara gently arose from her position, trying to wake her baby still in her arms. She found Aang in the room he usually meditated in. But he was not doing anything; he just sat there in front of the open window and looked down upon the Air Nation necklace in his cold hands.

"Aang," Katara said calmly.

He slowly turned around to her. She knew what she was about to say.

"I have to go...now. I can't wait much longer," she said wanting to cry again.

The Avatar finally stood up and walked over to the mother of his child. He gazed at her and his baby with a sad and torn look in his gray eyes. Katara gently placed her baby into Aang's strong arms.

"Where will you go now?" he asked sadly, almost not knowing what to say.

"The Eastern Air Temple. All part of the plan," she quietly told him as the bitter cold air surrounded them.

There was a long silent pause. Aang and Katara knew what must take place now; they each knew how the other was feeling and accepted what the events that took place and what would take place soon.

Katara then carefully bent down to kiss her little girl wrapped in soft blankets.

"Take care of Kaia. If you ever decided to tell her of me, let her know how much I truly did love her...even if I only was with her a short time," she said, trying to hold back her tears.

"I will, Katara. I promise."

The two looked into each other's eyes one last time. The gray and blue colors seemed to stand out even more

in contrast with the dark room. Katara hesitantly leaned to Aang and kissed him on his cheek. But before Katara walked out the door, Aang handed her the Air Nation necklace in his other hand. It was made of some kind of wood; the ancient beads were cold against Katara's hand. She looked at the largest bead, almost making the necklace resemble a medallion, and saw the Air Nation symbol carved upon it's rugged surface.

"You're free," he calmly told her, feeling guilty for Katara being here and what she thought she had to do.

"Bye, Aang."

"Bye, Katara."

Katara and Aang took one more gaze at each other, a gaze that seemed to last forever. Katara finally turned to the other direction and headed out to meet Aang's aide, the man who had also married them.

"Your yak, Master Katara," he said as he handed the reins to her.

"Thank you."

Katara once gain pulled herself onto her yak and made her way through the temple doors. The clouds were gray and it looked as if it would snow again. Katara put her hood to her parka over her head and continued through the snow covered ground.

And hour passed and she still headed through the Patola Mountain Range and another blizzard had set in. Katara feared this would happened and she knew she must get out of the mountains as fast as she could. But the blizzard just grew worse, and she could hardly see anything. But suddenly Katara fell off her yak; she could not figure out why until she realized she could not feel her lower body. It was as if she was paralyzed or frozen from her waist down. She thought she could not handle any more-she could not go any further.

"Why?" she cried in sorrow to herself. "What have I done?"

She never wanted things to be like they were now. She had loved Zuko and could not forget what had happened the Day of Souzin's Comet. His words lingered in her thoughts and repeated themselves in her mind constantly. She never wanted the destiny she was told she must fulfill-to marry the last airbender to carry on the Air Nation. She did not love Aang; but she could not ignore what she was told she should do. She could not change what she had done now. Katara knew Aang did not want this for her, but she knew even the Avatar could not give back time and years now passed.

"Zuko, why did you leave me?" she uttered in grief as the snow began to fall even more upon her. Her tears seemed to freeze on her face from the horrible temperatures. She felt so broken and torn and full of sorrow that would not go away. She remembered how he felt that day as she held him in her arms. She felt the one man who finally completed her was gone forever; she kept her feelings about that day inside for so long. She could hardly stand the sorrow building in her heart.

Her blue Water Tribe parka was now covered with white snow. She struggled to lift her head up, but to her surprise she saw a light. It seemed to be a lamp, but she had no idea where it had come from. Katara could not keep her cold eyes open any longer, and she finally drifted off into an unconscious sleep.

Katara suddenly opened her exhausted eyes to find the southern lights gleaming above her in the night sky. She lifted herself from the snowy ground and looked around the southern tundra. There was no one else around. Suddenly she saw a figure in the distance; she looked at him closer and a feeling of anticipation came over her. It was Zuko. He turned to her direction and smiled his notable smile. "Impossible," Katara whispered to herself as she walked Zuko's way. She was with him again; he was here again. Katara had so much excitement and gratefulness in her she could not keep it to herself. "Zuko! It's you!" she yelled with joy to him as she ran towards him. The soft gleam in his eye and his soft smile continued as Katara came closer to him. But just as she was about to leap into his arms, he disappeared. All she could see now was snowflakes falling quietly from the sky. All the feelings of excitement and gladness left her; she only felt desolate and sorrowful.

"Zuko," she whispered in tears as she fell to the ground, "don't leave me again."

Instantly Katara opened her eyes. She had just imagined everything, and the thoughts of Zuko being away and the grief those feelings caused returned to her once again. Now she saw herself by a warm fire in some sort of cave, and she realized she was lying on familiar fur. Katara gazed up at the massive and gentle beast she had been sleeping on-an air bison. "Appa," Katara said as she smiled at the familiar face. She quickly looked at her surroundings and saw she was alone with the air bison; she suddenly noticed someone coming through the passageway leading to the inside of the cave. It was the Avatar's aide leading Katara's yak inside from the snow.

"Oh, you're awake," he said as he noticed Katara.

"Where am I?"

"You're still in the Patola mountain range, my dear," he answered as he sat near her.

"But why are you here? And Appa?"

"As soon as the blizzard set in, Avatar Aang wished to search for you and make sure you were safe. But I insisted he stay with Kaia and I would go. So I tried to find you as I traveled on Appa; but the blizzard grew worse and Appa could no longer fly. We finally found you unconscious in the snow. You seemed to be talking about someone in your sleep."

"I can't remember anything I must have been dreaming," she told him sadly.

"Even if you dreamt of someone you've lost, you have to remember there is always away to be with them again," he assured her, almost as if he knew exactly what she had imagined in her dream.

"That's impossible. Once someone's gone, there's no way you can never be with them again."

"Maybe not on this earth. But if you keep the memories of them alive-if you keep them alive in your heart-you can make them seem closer to you than ever."

Katara did not say anything, but she remembered his words. She wanted to believe him and trust his guidance, but her sorrow overpowered that.


End file.
